


A Home of Your Own

by Sephypsycologist



Series: Growing Bitties [4]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bittybones (Undertale), Gen, Reader is a Child
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-21
Updated: 2019-01-10
Packaged: 2019-09-23 23:25:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17089727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sephypsycologist/pseuds/Sephypsycologist
Summary: An orphan runs away from one home and hopes to find another.





	1. Beginnings

You had run away from the social workers. Sure, you knew they were supposed to be nice to you, but without Mommy and Daddy….you just couldn’t stand being around strangers.

So you’d run until you couldn’t anymore, darting between houses and trees until you’d realized you had no idea where you were. The street was one of the less well cared for, with abandoned houses all around. Maybe this was where those monsters that had come out of the mountain lived.

That wasn’t a fun thought. You’d never met a monster, but you were scared just because of what they were called. But even so, you were getting cold and it was getting dark outside.

One house seemed to draw you in. Two stories, but the top was kind of smaller than the bottom. It looked like a cake, kind of, and you liked cake. So in you went through a broken window with the glass long kicked out.

Graffiti and dirt covered the floor, but it was warmer inside by a little. You scurried through the rooms, looking for anything to wrap up in. There was a bed up the creaky, scary stairs, but you didn’t like the idea of sleeping in someone else’s bed without permission, so you just took the blanket off and shook it out. The flying dust made you cough and lose your breath for a moment, but you wrapped the now less dusty blanket over yourself and headed back to the ground floor. You don’t want to climb those stairs again.

The warmest spot you found was a little cubby closet under the stairs. You’d used an old broom you’d found to smack and destroy all the spider webs and icky things inside. You went inside after that and closed the door behind you, using part of the blanket to make a pillow and tried to sleep. Dark meant sleep, since there was no clock to tell you what time it was. Besides, if you were hiding in here, the grown ups couldn’t find you.

You fell asleep after a long time of imagining what it would be like if you still had your parents.

—

In the darkness of the cupboard, a crack of light appeared in the slowly opening door. Then two small beings entered, white pinpricks glowing in empty sockets.

“Brother,” whispered the tall shadow, light shining through its thin shirt to illuminate the ribs beneath, “What is it?”

“a kid, pap” said the smaller one, his bare feet clicking softly on the hard floor as he examined the child. “they must’ve cleared the spiders out with that broom out there. ‘s lucky they didn’t kill any of them or terry’d be mad.”

“She was already upset…” murmured the tall one, coming close and creating an orange bone to illuminate the space more. They were both skeletons in long thin shirts, no pants to speak of nor shoes. But they were a healthy, smooth white all over, and their magic was strong and powerful. “Sans, this is no place for a human child. They can’t survive without someone to look after them.”

“i dunno what to do, pap,” Sans murmured, petting the child’s head gently with his tiny phalanges. “they must’ve run away from somewhere, but if they ran, it can’t be good. go get the others. i’ll stick with’em.”

“Oh, yes!” Pap ran out, and Sans could hear him using his normal volume in the distance.

“kid, i dunno what we’re gonna do, but you’re not alone. not anymore at least,” his voice was soft and warm, the deep tone and his continued stroking soothing the child into a more restful sleep despite circumstances.

————

It was late in the morning when the child woke up. They blinked sleepily and looked around. Oh, right. You were alone.

But…no? The door was open and there was a long string leading out of your hiding spot.

On the string was a bead, and it glittered. Nice! You were so glad something pretty was here.

You followed the string with your blanket around your shoulders, not wanting to leave its warmth and safety just yet. It led into the living room, or the big room with the broken sofa in it anyway.

The string was sitting in the middle of the floor, and you saw something that amazed you. Bitties! The little cute skeleton ones, and two snake ones, and a purpley buggy one! You’d always wanted a bitty! but….they were people. That’s what Mommy had said. They were little people who needed to be taken care of and loved like a baby, but as smart as a grown up. So you hadn’t asked anymore because you didn’t want to be the only one who didn’t understand things.

You hold your hands behind your back and look at the bitties. The little skeleton in the blue shirt had a nice smile. He looked happy to see you. “heya, kiddo. welcome to our house.”

Their house?! Oh no. You feel your chest get tight and your throat start to hurt, “I-I-I”m sorry! Please d-don’t call the police on me!”

The other skeleton in orange gasps and rushes over, patting your leg softly, “OH HUMAN, NO. WE ARE NOT GOING TO CALL THE POLICE! THEY WOULD NOT BE VERY NICE TO US EITHER, SO YOU HAVE NO NEED TO WORRY!”

Nodding, you sit down and pick him up, hugging him carefully, “W-what are you gonna do?”

The smiley one sighs and comes over, along with the snakes and the bug. You notice one of the snakes is sleeping, wrapped up around the yellowy-colored one’s body. “we’re gonna talk, okay? just make friends.”

That sounds okay. You nod and keep hugging the orange one, who giggles softly and hugs you in return. “I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS! OR WELL ONE OF THEM. SANS AND I DON’T HAVE EXTRA NAMES, SO THESE ARE FINE!”

“yeah, we ran, too. from a pet store,” Sans shrugs and looks at you. His little eye holes are tilted a bit and it reminds you of when Daddy would find you’d accidentally spilled water out of the tub. You miss Daddy.

“And I’m Terry, sweetheart,” says the buggy one. She’s got fluffy purple hair and pretty, shiny black eyes. She’s got a nice dress on, even if it’s ripped a little and dirty. “I’m here because some humans didn’t like me after my owner passed on. You scared my little friends last night though.”

You sniffle and cuddle Papyrus, “’m sorry….i didn’ wanna get bit while i sleeped.”

“I understand, dearie,” Terry coos, stepping over next to Sans and patting your knee, “I’ll make sure they don’t climb on you till you’re awake and ready to make friends, okay? no more broom?”

“No more broom,” you agree. You’ve never minded spiders themselves, but you’re scared of being bitten by anything. Was Terry a spider? You liked spiders if she was a spider.

The snakes had made it, the yellowy one’s bones and face reminded you of Papyrus now that you looked at him, but he had a much more…comfy feeling. Papyrus felt full of energy and fun and love. You set Papyrus down and pat his head. You love Papyrus now.

Sighing, the snake smiles at you as he sets down the sleeping turquoise one. You’d only just learned turquoise was a color last week. “heya, kid. i’m pollen. this is my baby bro, logan. he’s hibernating till we got more food, if you wanna know why he’s sleeping.”

Sans nodded, disappearing and reappearing on your shoulder. Wow! “so, what brought you here, kid?”

“That was a neat trick!” You have to tell him that right away! “And um….the social worker people? They said I can’t stay in my house anymore, and that Mommy and Daddy aren’t coming back. They just went to the store, but…” It confuses you as you talk. They went to the store to get something and left you alone because you were sleeping. But the social workers said a car hurt them and they weren’t coming home anymore. You don’t understand.

All the bitties seem upset by what you said, “Um, maybe they went to another town’s store?” You don’t want your new friends upset.

“Dearie,” Terry’s hands are all patting you at once. It feels nice, “I think your Mommy and Daddy are probably with my owner. Did the social workers say they had passed on?”

“Um…” you think, “they said Mommy and Daddy went to heaven.” Heaven was a nice place, you think. That’s what the lady who taught you in Sunday School said, anyway.

The bitties all looked at each other, and Papyrus started sniffling. You realize there are orange drips coming from his eye holes! “Papyrus, can you make orange juice?!” You’re amazed. Bitties are so neat!

“N-NO HUMAN, THESE ARE MY TEARS, BUT I WISH I COULD!” His voice sounds very wet. “THEN WE WOULD ALL HAVE PLENTY TO DRINK.”

“I gots some food…um…” You reach in your pocket and pull out a package of crackers with peanut butter stuck between. “we can share. I can count good and um…there’s….” you count. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, five bitties, and one you. You look at the biggest number on the package. 6! That’s six! “There’s one for each of us!”

You feel very smart for having done such good counting.

The bitties instead let you keep your crackers for breakfast and only take one to split between them. You like that you can have food, and you like that these bitties are talking so nice to you. The social workers talked nice, but they wanted something. You could tell. But the bitties don’t.

“so what’s your name, buddy?” Sans asks.

You introduce yourself and tell them how old you are. You’re such a big kid now.

“wow,” Pollen seems impressed, “You did a good job there. Not every kid your age could get themselves away from grown ups.” He slithers over and curls around your arm like a bracelet. You like the idea of having your new snake friend on your arm all the time. You kiss him for being so pretty. “aww, kiddo, that’s too kind of ya. we barely met and i’m already getting kissed? wow, i’m good.”

You don’t really understand, but you laugh. Sans and Terry laugh, too, though Logan is still sleeping and Papyrus looks annoyed, but not really. Like when you would pretend to not like Daddy tickling you.

“Um, can I tell you guys a secret?” you ask them, and the little monsters gather around you.

“Of course, sweetie, go ahead!” Terry seems excited.

“I um….I’ve never met a monster before, but I like you guys. Are you monsters? Do monsters live here?” Your secret turned into questions. Oh well.

“NOT A LOT OF MONSTERS, NO, BUT THEY DO COME BY AND LEAVE US FOOD EVERY SO OFTEN,” Papyrus notes. “BUT I MUST WARN YOU, HUMAN, IF YOU DON’T GET SOMEWHERE NICER SOON, YOU MIGHT BE HURT. OR GET SICK! WE’RE SAFE BECAUSE WE’RE SO SMALL, BUT YOU ARE BIG AND NEED WATER AND FOOD AND….OH HUMAN I AM WORRIED FOR YOU!”

“yeah,” Sans sighed, “as much as we’d like to keep you, cutie, we’re barely making it ourselves.”

You feel your chest hurt and start crying without meaning to. “B-but….I’m scared. I don’t wanna g-gggo with the social workers. Th-hey just want to p-put me in a-a-a-a bad place!”

Terry clambers up to your shoulder and nuzzles your face softly. She’s slightly fuzzy. “Oh Sweetie, don’t cry. We could maybe come with you, one way or another? We love you already, darling, and you need protecting. So we’ll protect you.” Her head turned, but since your eyes were closed you didn’t see what she looked like, “Right, boys?”

“RIGHT!”

“right.”

“yep.”

“B-but this is your house…” you try to argue, not wanting them to have to leave their home too.

“actually, it isn’t. not legally anyway,” Pollen smiles up at you. “and home’s where the heart is, kiddo, and seems like we’re all in agreement our hearts are with you. i’m sure logan’ll say the same once we get somewhere with heat and more food.”

You suppose that’s okay. You don’t really want to leave your new friends, and you don’t want to be alone going to….wherever you’re going.

“Do you guys promise to stay with me?” You offer your pinkie just to be sure.

With a hop, Terry lands next to your hand and cuddles your pinkie, “I swear, dearie. I’m not letting a sweet soul like you get hurt like we did.”

“i’m not much for promises, buddy,” Sans shrugs and puts his hand on your pinkie, too, “but for you? yeah. i promise.”

“OF COURSE!” Papyrus puts his hand over Sans’, “THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL BE WITH YOU ALWAYS, SMALL HUMAN!”

Pollen slips down your arm and over to the others, “me’n sans are kind of the same about promises. still, i can’t say i don’t want to make sure you’re alright. you’ve got a deal, kid.” His hand joins the others and the five of you shake on it.

“Okay…” you get up, clutching your found blanket tighter, “Now how do I get found?”

“leave that to me, buddy,” Sans looked up at you and winked, “i’ll head over to the nearest house and ‘anonymously’ tell the cops there’s a kid here. i’ll be back and then you’ll have to wrap us up in that blanket so we can hide with you the whole way.”

He disappears in a small blue flash and you beam. You like Sans’ magic tricks.


	2. The Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to get found

The police lady who came to get you was nice. The bitties hid in the neck of your shirt, their warm little bodies hidden by the fabric and your blanket as she scooped you up in it.

“Hey, sweetheart. We’ve been looking for you all night. Are you okay?” she said, and you nod.

“I was scared.” And you still were, but not as much.

“I know, baby, I know. Don’t worry, though. We’ll get you to a nice place and you won’t have to worry anymore.” She kissed your head and you relax against her chest, feeling Pollen rumbling softly in his chest, so soft you can’t really hear it. You’re safe.

-

The kids home was…different.

There were lots of kids, but you were the youngest and some of the older boys picked on you for it. They tried to take your blanket (you were going to keep it! You didn’t care how dusty it was, it was soft and nice and it helped you meet your bitties!) and they pulled on your hair.

Sometimes, in the night when everyone was asleep, you’d get your blanket and crawl under the bed so you could sleep closer to the bitties.

They lived in the floor, under a board Terry had learned was loose from the spiders in the building. You often saw little spiders around during the day, and you knew they were Terry’s friends making sure you were alright. It made you happy, and you’d feed them little bugs in their webs.

That didn’t make you that popular with the other girls, but you didn’t care. They don’t like bugs, they don’t like spiders, they don’t like snakes, or skeletons….which means they don’t like you, who likes all those things. Who loves those things, because those are your friends.

You cry a lot because no one wants to play with you.

But Pollen and Papyrus always cheer you up, with a joke or a cuddle. And Sans always listens when you talk, and Terry helps you comb your hair, and when he wakes up after the first week, Logan is so happy to meet you.

“OH! SO IT WASN’T A DREAM!” his lights in his eyes were star shaped, and he cuddled into you as you smiled. “I DREAMED SOMEONE SWEET AND KIND HAD FOUND US, AND NOW I WAKE UP AND HERE YOU ARE.”

You introduce yourself and he nods before curling around your neck and purring. You notice the skeletons, snake or no, all purr when they’re happy or want to comfort you. It feels good, and it makes you happy.

You’re so glad you have people who love you.

\--

“kiddo?”

You sleepily look over at Sans, who’s rubbing your hand.

“just so we make it official….uh, me’n pap would like you to name us. It’s a tradition, with bitties, for the person we end up with to give us real names. If you want, that is.” He’s so good….you feel so safe when Sans talks to you. Papyrus is peeking out of the floor behind him, the little Christmas lights they took from the trash glowing softly.

“Then…you can be Danny,” you sigh a bit, “That was my daddy’s name. And you take care of me like Daddy did.” Then you look at Papy and grin, “And you’re Josie. That was going to be my sister’s name, but it sounds like a good boy name, too.”

“You were going to have a sister?” Papyrus murmured, and Sans nodded, nuzzling his little teeth against your forehad. “I’m so sorry for all you lost, dear one.”

“It’s okay, Josie,” you snuggle into your pillow, too sleepy to get really sad. “I got you and everyone instead. And that’s okay.”

He nods and the bitties retreat into their board and turn off the lights.

\--

Watching the human was so hard.

They were happy, sometimes, but a lot of times they were sad and lonely.

“Danny, we have to get them out of here as soon as possible,” Terry murmured, sitting next to him on the windowsill.

“I know, terry. I just wish we were bigger. That we could take them ourselves,” he sighed, rubbing his sockets tiredly. Being a dad had never been something he’d planned on, ever, but….that kid loved him, trusted him, and needed him more than anything.

Her arms gently touched his shoulder, “I’ve heard we can be, if we want it bad enough and are loved well enough.”

“I hope you’re right,” he saw the older boys push their human down for the fifth time this week, and he winced. There was nothing he could do without being found. But they got up after the boys left and brushed off their clothes to continue doodling in the sandbox. They were learning.

\--

A few weeks later, you notice Logan unplugging the Christmas lights.

“Did they break?” you hope not, the bitties deserved light in their house.

“OH!” Logan shakes his head and stops what he’s doing, purring as he nuzzles you as you peek under the bed. “NO, HUMAN, WE’RE JUST MOVING. DON’T USE THE BOTTOM DRAWER ON YOUR DRESSER, OKAY? WE’RE PUTTING A FAKE BACK ON IT SO WE CAN HAVE MORE ROOM.”

Your friends has been getting bigger, you think, since Logan can now fit all the way around your arm twice now, with Pollen making five wraps instead of his original two and a half. You’d learned fractions Tuesday.

“Okay. Just…don’t go too far, okay?” your mom had said that at the store when you wanted to look at toys while she talked to someone else. You think it’s something you say when someone is important to you and you’re worried about something you can’t understand.

“NEVER FEAR, SWEET HUMAN!” Logan struck a pose, kind of like a superhero, “I SWEAR ON MY GOOD NAME THAT YOU WILL NEVER BE ALONE WHILST I HAVE A SAY IN IT!”

That’s nice. You don’t want to be even MORE lonesome than you usually are.

\--

Pollen is sitting with you in the bushes as he helps you sound out the words. You’d picked an easy book, but were having trouble anyway.

“c’mon, honey, you know how to do it.”

You do, but you feel tired right now. The bullies stole your sandwich, and without food you feel drained and cranky.

“honey?” he nudges you and frowns when he sees the frustrated tears in your eyes.

“Why can’t the other kids be more like you?” you ask, and he sighs, slipping around your arm and up till he could nuzzle you.

“I dunno, baby, but I wish i could fix this for you. still too cold out for foraging or I’d find some berries for you’n logan.” The soft pulses of magic from his hands make the tired feeling ease, and give you a bit of energy. You’re used to the bitties using magic by now, and know the difference between the types now.

“I know. Thank you, Pollen.” He purrs for you and his coils warm as you add, “I love you.”

“love you, too, sweetheart. now, you up for more reading, or should we head inside?”

“I can read some more.”

\---

“I SAW A HUGE SPIDER! IT WAS SO SCARY!”

You cover your ears as the older girl shrieks. She’d seen Terry sitting on a shelf and had been making a fuss ever since.

The bitties were as big as stuffed animals now, and you were so worried they’d get in trouble. They looked even worse than they had when you’d found them, clothes wise, since they’d outgrown their old things and were wearing old rags and towels they’d snatched from various forgotten corners of the orphanage (you knew that’s what this place was, even if that wasn’t what people called it.)

Even after they moved into your dresser, and later into the abandoned attic of the house, you still would sleep under your bed, and that’s where you were now to hide from that screaming.

The matron was trying to calm down the older girl, but it was no use. You’d long learned that every one of the girls was terrified of everything you loved, and avoided them because of it, just like you avoided the boys so you didn’t get picked on.

The adults in the house tried to encourage you to “make friends” and “be social” but why? None of the others liked you, and in the six months you’d lived here you hadn’t had a good interaction with any of them. And you weren’t alone, anyway, so why bother?

Just like you didn’t bother with the people who came to adopt kids.

Oh you’d like to not live here anymore, but you knew it would be so much harder to bring your bitties with you if you got adopted. So you hid, no matter how the matron threatened, or the other grown ups called your name, you were NOT going out there.

Especially since this place didn’t like monsters.

You’d watched, one day, as a monster couple came up the driveway. They were very pretty ladies, you thought, the lizard and the fish, and Danny had said they were famous monsters, too.

So it made you so angry to see them knock and knock on the door, only for no one to answer.

You’d asked about it, and the matron had said, “Ugh, of course you’d be one of those. You’re a human, everyone here is, and no monster filth is going to be taking any of you. Especially not gay filth.”

Josie had explained to you what “gay” meant later, and you didn’t see any problem with being gay either. So that meant this was a bad place for everyone when nice monsters couldn’t come and take someone away from it.

\---

You felt Logan pull you out of the sticker bush with his magic after Billy pushed you in.

“ARE YOU ALRIGHT, SWEETIE?” he cooed as he kept you still, the magic painlessly removing all the thorns from your skin, hair, and clothes.

“Yeah. It hurt, but I’m okay.” And you were. You knew by now, thanks to Danny and Pollen teaching you how to ‘see’ people’s intentions, that Billy only did this because he was so scared that he’d never get adopted. He was twelve now, and everyone around the house said that teenagers never got adopted. So he only had a year left before he’d be stuck here forever. You were sad for him.

Logan set you down now that you were sticker free and coiled up into your lap. He was so big by now that he was kind of heavy and couldn’t climb up on your shoulders anymore. “YOU’RE ALWAYS SURPRISING ME! EVEN WHEN THEY’RE CRUEL TO YOU, YOU SHOW THEM KINDNESS AND UNDERSTANDING. YOU MAKE ME REALLY PROUD THAT YOU’RE MY HUMAN.”

“I’m proud you’re my snakey, too!” You giggle and cuddle him, glad you can have some time with him since the garden shed hid you both from view. Summer meant Logan and Pollen spent a lot of time outside, especially since Pollen could “shortcut” like Danny. They’d bring back fresh berries and pretty flowers, or maybe some cool rocks or feathers, and you were fascinated. They taught you a lot about nature, and you always wanted to learn more. It was always more fun when the bitties taught you things than when you went to school.

School was not fun, especially since the teachers were boring. You missed your old school, and your church, and your friends from there. The kids who had families at this school made fun of everyone from the house. You were all losers, to them, and you just shrugged it off. Your lessons with the bitties had taught you that they were just afraid of you. They were afraid of a life without their families, afraid that you were different from them. And that made them all the sadder. You hated how many people did mean things because they were sad and scared. It didn’t make sense to you, and even knowing why they did it didn’t stop it from hurting your feelings.

\--

“AND WHAT DID YOU DO THEN?” Josie asks as you carefully glue the blue jay feather to your paper.

“I ignored him. He’s rude,” you answered. Joey Malone didn’t deserve one of your valentines.

You hear Danny chuckle from where he’s resting on an old couch. All the bitties are bigger than you, now, and you enjoy it when Danny or Pollen comes and gets you so you can spend time with them up here.

The attic is well kept now that Terry has been able to move things around, and sweep and scrub the windows. It’s no longer dusty and spooky, but really homey. You feel good when you’re up here, especially since Josie and Logan hang up your “collages” with some of Terry’s sticky spider thread. There are leaves and feathers and drawings coloring the walls now, going higher as the bitties grow.

“kiddo?” Danny asks, and you look at him.

He gets up and sighs, “we might be pretty busy tomorrow, so we might not see you till bedtime. Will you be okay?”

You nod, but you’re worried now. “Danny, are you going somewhere?”

“Let me tell them, dear,” Terry comes from deeper in the attic and brushes off her curtain dress. She knew how to sew from her old owner, and had pieced together everyone’s clothes after they grew so much. It wasn’t as fancy as her old dress, but you still thought she was the most beautiful spider you’d ever seen. And you kept her old dress safe in your shoebox in their old floorboard house.

Terry helped you up as she spoke, “We found out that, now that we’re bigger than you, dearie, we can become legal grown ups.”

“Were you illegal before?” you ask, confused.

“NO, BUT WE HAD TO HAVE SOMEONE TO TAKE CARE OF US BEFORE NOW, ACCORDING TO LAW,” Josie adds, putting your craft supplies away.

“He’s right, dear,” Terry nods, “Now, we’re all going to a nice place we found on the big kids’ computers, where we can get a bitty doctor to check us up and give us the papers we have to sign to be our own monsters.”

“And then what?” despite yourself, you feel fear prickling at your heart. If they don’t need you anymore, they might leave.

“then,” Danny stands next to you, taking your hand and squeezing it slightly, “we’ll come back and take you out of here. cause once we’re legally grown ups, we can legally adopt you.”

“If that’s what you’d want, of course.” Terry strokes your head softly, and it feels for a second like it was your mommy doing it instead.

“I do!” you hug Terry and cry. “I don’t ever wanna be alone, or n-not have y-you all and…and I love you!”

You’re folded into a group hug, all of Terry’s soft arms around you while Josie and Danny come in from either side.

“And we love you, my little muffin,” Terry coos, “more than anything else in the world.”

\--

You are very brave, the day the bitties leave to sign their papers.

And that night, when you go to sleep, you find a note in Pollen’s weird writing.

“hey there  
There’s been a few hiccups in the process, honey. The shopkeeper who runs the clinic is going to help us, and we’ll stay with her a few days, but we will come back.  
Logan picked this out for you, and the shopkeeper gave it to us. He’ll keep you safe while we work to get you home.  
Love, Pollen”

On the back of the paper, you see where Terry, Danny, Logan and Josie all signed their names, too.

You’re scared that they won’t be back, but when you look under the bed, there’s a small beanbag plush of a skeleton. It had black button sockets and a black stitch mouth, but is only the size of your hand, easy enough to hide in a pocket or bag.

You crawl into your safe place, and you cuddle your gift tight. The note is folded into your shoe box, and you go to sleep very slowly.

\--

It’s hard, the waiting.

Danny and Pollen have been back, if only for a little while, to help you pack up your art in the attic and take your shoe box to the place they’ve found to live.

When you ask about the others, Danny tells you that Josie is working with Logan on more papers they have to fill out for you, and that Terry is cleaning their new house like she only has a few days to do it.

But it takes months.

You see at least one of your bitties every day, but it’s so hard knowing the others aren’t here. And Pollen tells you they feel the same way, and that Logan doesn’t even have the energy to explore without his forage partner (he means you, even if you only ever foraged in the bushes by the house fence). 

And it gets so lonely at night, despite your plush (you call him Sparkles because of his shiny button eyes) always feeling warm, as if he was full of the love your bitties had for you.

You just didn’t want to be alone.

\--

You’re sitting in the living room while the other kids watch TV (you only get the local channels, and they have it on PBS to watch their cartoons) one afternoon when you hear a knock at the door of the house.

But it’s not a normal knock, it’s the weird knock Danny showed you, the one he said was your signal that they were there.

Your heart jumps into your throat and you stare at the door, watching the matron go to the peep hole and grunt in disgust, “Ugh, more monsters. No, I think not, Mr. Skeleton.”

Now you KNOW it’s Danny, and before you can even blink, he’s standing in the entry hall. “hello, ma’am. It’s a fine day for an adoption, don’t you think?”

It’s all you can do not to run to him now, but you’d all agreed you had to pretend like you didn’t know them when they came for you, or the whole thing would fall apart. You start rubbing over Sparkles’ tummy with your thumb inside the pocket of your sweatshirt, the fluffy feeling of him keeping you calmer.

“What is the meaning of this!?” Matron gasps, “This is illegal entry-“

Pollen shows up, his thick magic coils making a “thump” as they hit the wood floor. The other kids gasp, “speaking of illegal, you do know about the adoption act they passed last year, right, ma’am? Y’know, the one where you can’t discriminate against monsters adopting kids?”

“oh yeah,” Danny’s grin is big and you can’t help but smile, too. “would be a shame if I had to call the cops about a hate crime like that.”

Matron can’t even talk, she’s so shocked, and she finally walks away from the door enough that Pollen can let Logan, Terry, and Josie in.

With Danny and Pollen busy with Matron, Terry flounces into the living room in a fresh dress of soft mint green and pastel yellow. The girls shriek and the boys stare at her in awe, but you almost cry as she picks you up, “Now, I think this is the little dearie we’ll be taking home today. We have all the forms already signed. It’s just a matter of the release.”  
She carries you to the hallway, and you realize just how big they’ve gotten while you didn’t see them all. They’re as big as any big monster that you’ve seen outside, and as you’re sat in Logan’s coils and hugged and nuzzled, it hits you. This is your family.

You’ve had a family this whole time.

You cry with joy and cling to Josie as he takes you fully from the slightly distressed Logan, “NOW NOW, SWEETIE, I KNOW. I CAN FEEL IT, TOO. IT’S A LOT OF HAPPINESS AT ONCE, ISN’T IT?”

“WE LOVE YOU!” Logan adds in a squeak, not able to reach you since Josie is so much taller than him, though Terry can pat your leg gently.

“I-I l-love you-u too!” you sniffle, but you can’t say any more. You just feel like your chest is too small for how happy you are.

\--

Danny and Pollen come out of Matron’s office looking smug, while the grey headed woman looks thoroughly frightened and pale. Some part of you thinks she deserves it for being mean.

But she tells you to pack your clothes, and you rush upstairs. You’ve been living out of your small suitcase for two months now just in case, and it takes you no time at all to scamper back. Everything you own is inside the same suitcase you had when you came here.

And you leave wrapped in Danny’s arms while Josie carries your suitcase out to a van with a pink bird behind the wheel.


End file.
